He waved dismissively.Then I am the best by default. I will set the standard of greatness for future devotees.He winked.So, I am going to go and do what I am good at. See you soon.
He drained his third glass of blood and stood. As I drew to my feet as well, he offered a hug, and I let him fold me into his embrace. A slow warmth slid through me. Heat pooled low in my stomach. He smelled like he’d been outside, carrying tinges of wood smoke and a note of something pleasantly sweet, like honey. Then I pulled away, my breath a little unsteady.
Bye, Finn. Good luck.
With a wink, he took the pitcher and left. I prepared myself from there, turning over the variables foroursuccess as I did so. When the pair of vampiresses from last night knocked on my door, they found me already dressed in Ilyana’s leather combat attire. I’d circled my rooms, crouching and stretching, breaking in the new armor whileI had time. My belly grumbled irritably from the weight of two ration bars. They’d settled in my stomach like bricks, but I’d appreciate them more soon.
The two house servants were here to retrieve me, not help me. I ignored the snide tone of the red-lipped vampiress, as I was already fully prepared. Blades sheathed at my hips and thighs, a pair of vials in one secret pocket, one with rupture poison and the other full of blood wine, with a flask of water and some ration bars in another. My engagement ring remained pressed to my chest as an eternal reminder of why I’d chosen this path.
They ushered me outside along with all the other candidates and their Devotions. Most of us were dressed for a fight, though I caught a glimpse of a vampiress in pink. Felicity had poked fun at this one earlier.Now that is hubris, to show up to a trial in brightly colored skirts.
I wasn’t necessarily in abadposition to endure a long trial with limited resources. Unlike the vampires around me, I didn’t need to drink blood, while they needed it daily. Some of them could push it to every other day before the situation became desperate for them. All the easier for a hidden slayer to kill them.
We exited the estate and approached a set of massive, black coaches waiting in the front drive. I spotted Razira’s distinctive head of white hair and dropped back to walk with her and her Devotion of three. We exchanged a round of greetings and introductions. I’d already noticed that Devotions were something of an afterthought for most vampiresses, but Razira rested a possessive hand on each of them in turn as she shared their names.
I shook hands with Damien, the last of her mates. He was built broad rather than tall and wore a chainmail shirt over the expanse of his chest. As soon as we’d said ourhellos, Razira stroked Damien’s chest affectionately. They whispered together, something about one of the other vampiresses. Damien raised his head to glance where she was looking and nodded to Razira.
A few officials circulated, encouraging us to get in the coaches. “The regent will explain the trial when we arrive,” one said.
“When we arrive where?” one of Razira’s devotees asked.
“Please board the coach, sir.”
With a shrug, he did, and the rest of us followed. I squished in with Razira and an unfamiliar vampiress, along with their Devotions. We swayed together as the coach jolted into motion. The silence that shrouded us was a thick fog, the calm before the storm to come, no matter what form it took.
For a while, we followed a smooth road, before the interior started jumping over the bumpy terrain of a less trodden path. I snuck a glance out of the window to see that we were leaving the buildings of the well-to-do side of Pythia behind and venturing into an overhang of tree branches. The forest went on and on until the coach came to a stop with the window facing a thick tree trunk.
We emerged alongside the rest of the bloodsuckers in the other coaches, forming a crowded semicircle. The air was charged with anticipation and the murmurs cutting through the thickness of the anticipatory stillness that’d engulfed us.
We were in a clearing of sorts. The ancient forest behind us, with its towering trees and overgrown vegetation, gave way to a slab of solid rock.
My left foot was inside of an indentation. If there weren’t so many vampires here, I would’ve taken the time to bend down to inspect the carvings below our feet. Next to Mathias was a hollow tunnel of rock, its rectangular opening man-sized, with a circle of darkness suggesting hidden depths below. There would be a portal at the bottom of it, waiting to scatter each of us to different places in the labyrinth.
“Good evening, candidates,” the regent said. His voice echoed into the night’s darkness. “Before you is the first test that will separate the queen from the chaff, so to speak. The Trial of the Labyrinth. Know this: Only the candidates and their Devotions are permitted to enter.Violators will be put before the Flask for judgment.”
His stern glare swept over the crowd. “Every individual who enters will be put in a random location inside the labyrinth. For three days, you all will be tested in more ways than you can imagine. Bottles of blood have been secured behind puzzles and traps for you to feed yourself and your Devotions. But you have to move quickly, as the maze reshapes itself at will.”
I forced a swallow. I carried enough rations to get Finn and me through this, but my stomach twisted with dread over the risk he was taking. He was stepping into that labyrinth, and he wasn't my devotee.
Three days would also push the end of the spell Adelaide had cast on my fang bracelet. We would see soon whether it faded slowly or all at once. If the disguise failed while I was still trapped in that maze, surrounded by vampires, there would be no escape. My only recourse if my ruse was discovered was to run away.
Well, whatever happened, I would adapt and persevere. I had to.
“There will be additional challenges that I’ll let surpriseyou,” Mathias continued. “Not only are we testing your survival skills, but also your critical thinking.”
My hands clenched into fists as I thought of Finn alone in those tunnels, unable to hear approaching footsteps or the scrape of claws on stone. What if he’d encountered trouble getting to the maze? What if he’d gotten lost and I couldn’t find him?
Mathias’s gaze swept over his audience before inevitably settling on me. I met his eyes defiantly. He smiled my way, an infuriating smirk that only got my blood up further. A chuckle escaped his lips as he must’ve sensed my reaction.
“After three days, survivors only need to look down, as the floor will light up with a pattern of arrows to lead you on a path to safety. I will be taking no questions at this time. Good luck, candidates.” The regent inclined his head. “I will seesomeof you on the other side.”
Chapter 12
Sidney
A tunnel of rock yawned before me, darkness waiting to swallow us whole. Around me, candidates and their Devotions moved forward, some hesitant, others eager.
Mathias raised his voice. “Form a line.”
